Health workers in Kisumu have vowed not to go back to work until they are paid.
Health workers want their July and August salaries.
They went on strike on Monday last week, disrupting services in county hospitals. Thursday marks day 11 of the strike.
They spoke on Wednesday at Prosperity Building, which houses the county government. They have been to Prosperity Building four times since they went on strike. They said they would return on Friday to push for their payment.
Kenya Nation Union of Nurses (KNUN) deputy secretary general Maurice Opetu said the county has been taking them for granted yet other counties have paid their workers.
“We are going to stay put, not report to work and parade outside this office until our salaries are paid,” he said
The county government last week said it was in the process of releasing Sh300 million salaries for county workers, but they are yet to be paid.
“It is clear that the county government is used to lying because last week, they claimed that they would pay us before the weekend, but until now we are yet to get our pay,” Opetu said.
The health workers said they would present the agreement they had between the county government and their unions to the banks and trade union offices. The unions include KNUN, the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS).
A check by the Star, revealed that health services have been disrupted in the county public hospitals. Residents have been suffering since the health workers boycotted work.
At the Kisumu County Hospital, most wards were empty as families and relatives had taken their loved ones home.
A woman who was in labour on Tuesday but did not know that health workers were on strike, cried out for help but there was no one to assist her. She was writhing in pain and requested her relatives to take her to a traditional birth attendant.
At Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital contracted nurses have also boycotted work after the county failed to pay their salary for more than three months.
Only local NGOs were seen offering HIV-AIDS services and had to turn away some patients due to lack of capacity.
“Some are weak and need immediate medical care but there is nothing we can do to help them,” a worker, who didn't want to be mentioned, said.
A patient who visited the facility carrying his UHC card said he had been using the card and could not raise money to seek treatment in a private facility.
“We see other hospitals in other counties operating. Why can't the governor pay workers in this county to save us from this agony?” Mark Okundi asked.
